Centrifugal machine.



PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

W. G. HOWELL.

CENTRIPUGAL MACHINE.

APFLIOATION FILED SEPT. 19. 1904.

mwml 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

max. f'zw PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

W. G. HOWELL.

OBNTRIPUGAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNTTED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

ATENT FFICE.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,042, dated June 13,1905.

Application filed ;$eptemher 19, 190 Serial No. 225,070.

To (LZZ whom, it Duty concern:

Be it known that I, NVILLIAM G. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at WVashington, District of Columbia, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Liquid-Purifying Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide apparatus that willsuccessfully purify very large quantities of water by centrifugalaction. It involves the use of a closed outer vessel and a smallerrapidly-rotated inner vessel having circumferential perforations largeenough to allow impurities to pass from the inner chamber to the annularchamber between the two vessels, a conduit delivering liquid in one endof the inner vessel, a conduit taking water from the inner vessel, and aconduit taking the separated impurities and a portion of the water fromsaid annular space.

Other secondary objects and novel devices will hereinafter appear.

Preferably the two vessels are of conical form, water or other liquid tobe purified being admitted at the smaller end. Preferably means areprovided for regulating the flow of liquid and for utilizing the energyof both the entering and the discharged liquid for rotating the water inthe vessels, and in some cases the interior of the inner vessel isdivided into compartments extendingfrom end to end, as will appear. Theconical forms have been chosen for illustration, and for convenience indescription the liquid to be purified will be spoken of as water, theapparatus being, in fact, especially adapted for purifying wator formunicipal purposes or for large private consumers.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an axial section of theapparatus; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a Viewsimilar to Fig. 1, showing a slight modification; and Fig. 4' is asection on the line 4 4, Fig. 3.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A represents a suitable stand or base, and B B aconical closed vessel supported by the base and preferably made up oftwo parts, united in any suitable way-for example,by bolts B Preferablythe side walls turn abruptly inward at C and then extend onward again inthe original direction, forming a neck from whose larger end an annularlip C projects into the body of the vessel and whose smaller end isclosed by a plate C The side walls of the lower member B are bentsharply outward, forming a groove B and are then integrally joined atthe bottom B This bottom has acentral depression 13*, like the neck Cinverted, and around this depression is an annular flange B In the axisof the conical vessel is a shaft D, supported from the case byball-bearings and passing through suitable stuffing-boxes E E borne bythe neck C and the corresponding part B". At its lower end the shaftbears a water motor-wheel F and at its upper end a belt-pulley F. Withinthe vessel is a materially smaller very thin frustoconical receptacle G,open above, but closed below by a bottom G and having its sides nearlycontinuous with the walls of the neck C, parallel to the walls of theouter Vessel and separated therefrom by an annular space due to theoffset C. The bottom is provided with a central opening, surrounded byupwardly and downwardly projecting flanges and having within it a spiderH H, rigidly connecting the bottom with the shaft D. Above the bottomare other spiders, H H connecting other portions of the side walls withthe shaft, and at its upper end this receptacle is provided with anannular fiangel, externally overlapping the lip C of the neck. Water tobe purified is admitted through a pipe K, which delivers it tangentiallyin the neck C and near the upper end of the latter. The enteringwater'at once begins to travel downward in a slightly-inclined spiralwith very little diminution of its initial velocity. The shaft beingrotated by means of the beltpulley, preferably atsuch speed that theupper part of the inner vessel has, as nearly as may be, the same rateof movement as the entering water, the water passes to the inner vesselwithout slip or material frictional loss, and its speed constantlyincreases as it passes toward the larger end of the cone, since thepoint most distant from the shaft must pass through its very longcircular path while the shaft makes one revolution. As the water travelsdownward within the inner vessel the impurities seek the wall and passout through small openings I, scattered over the lateral area and madelarge enough to allow any foreign material to pass outward. Preferablythe bottom is also provided with like openings 1 near its outer marginfor the same purpose. The water escaping with the impurities throughthese apertures into the annular space surrounding the inner receptaclecauses the pressure therein to be approximately the same as that withinthe receptacle, and hence the latter is subjected to very little strainand may be very light and though largemay run at practically any desiredspeed. This impure water leaves the outer vessel at a very high speedthrough a tangential pipe M, provided with a valve N and terminating inany suitable nozzle M, which discharges the water against the blades ofthe motorwheel F, thus utilizing practically its entire momentuminaccelerating the rotation of that water which is following it. The purewater passes down through the central opening in the bottom of the innerreceptacle and into the depression in the bottom of the outer vessel,whence it escapes tangentially through a conduit L, leading to anydesired point. This water escaping so near the axis of rotation has alow velocity comparatively, and it is therefore not usually desirable toemploy its momentum to assist in driving the apparatus.

The devices shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are precisely the same except thatthe space within the inner receptacle and the neck C is divided intocompartments by a series of radial partitions 0, fixed to the shaft I).This compels the water in this space to rotate with the shaft D andprevents possible eddy-currents.

It also utilizes the momentum of the enter 2 ing water to assist indriving the shaft 1), the partitions serving as the blades of awaterwheel. In either form of the device the inlet-pipe K may bedownwardly inclined, as indicated in dotted lines, if desired.

It is evident that the construction and arran gement shown need not beclosely followed. For example, the vessels which are shown as erect arenot necessarily so, nor are the vessels or the neck and bottomdepression necessarily conical, nor are the openings in the walls of theinner vessel the same in relative size, number, or location as in thedrawings. In all these and in many other points the con struction may bevaried, and I do not, therefore, wish to conline myself to thesespecific forms, but wish to claim my invention broadly as well asspecifically.

It is important to observe that the apparatus avoids all secondarycurrents and eddies that might carry the impurities back toward the purewater after they have moved outward, the matter in suspension in theouter annular space being protected by the perforated wall and thecircular wall having little tendency to set up eddies by its rotarymovement. \Vhile the impurities pass freely and constantly through theperforations, only so much water passes through all of them together ascan be discharged through the noz- Zle, and obviously this maybe such asto allow any desired flow through the openings.

What I claim is 1. In a centrifugal liquid-purifier, the combination ofa closed outer vessel for receiving separated impurities, an innervessel mounted to rotate therein and provided with peripheraldischarge-openings for permitting impurities to pass into the outervessel, means for introducing liquid into one end of the in ner vessel,a conduit leading from the inner vessel to the exterior of the outervessel for discharging purified liquid therefrom and. a secondrelatively small discharge-conduit leading from the outer vessel,whereby the out-.

flow through the peripheral openings of the inner vessel is limited.

2. In acentrifugal liquid-purifier, the combination with a closed outervessel having suitable outlet-openings, of a smaller,laterallyperforated vessel revolubly mounted in said outer vessel, meansfor introducing liquid in one end of the inner vessel and also means fordischarging liquid centrally from the opposite end, and means forrotating the inner vessel.

3. In a centrifugal liquid-purifier, the combination of a closed outervessel, a laterallyperforated inner vessel revolubly mounted in theouter vessel, means for introducing at one end of the inner vesselliquid to be purified, a conduit at the opposite end of the inner vesselfor the discharge of purified water, a conduit for discharging separatedimpurities from the outer vessel, and means for rotating the innervessel.

4. In a liquid-purifier, the combination of a closed outer vessel forreceiving separated impurities, a laterally-perforated inner vesselmounted to rotate in the outer vessel, means for introducing liquidtangentially at one end of the inner vessel, a conduit for dischargingpure water from the inner vessel, and a relatively small conduit fordischarging impure water from the outer vessel.

5. In a water-purifier, the combination of a closed outer vessel, alat-erally-perforated inner vessel mounted to rotate in the outervessel, means for introducing tangentially at one end of the innervessel liquid to be purified, a discharge-conduit leading tangentiallyfrom the opposite end of the inner vessel, and a relatively smallconduit leading tangentially from the outer vessel.

6. In a centrifugal water-purifier, the combination of a vessel providedwith a suitable inlet for water to be purified, a water-motor arrangedto impart rotary motion to water in said vessel, and a conduit arrangedto receive \vater discharged from said vessel and deliver it to saidmotor to actuate the same.

7. In a centrifugal liquid-purifier, the combination with a closedvessel, of a materially smaller, laterally-perforated vessel arranged torotate in said closed vessel, a Water-motor arranged to impart rotaryforce to the inner vessel, means for delivering in one end of the innervessel Water to be purified, a conduit for discharging Water from theopposite end, and a valved conduit conveying peripherallydischargedWater from the outer vessel to saic motor, to actuate the latter.

8. In a centrifugal liquid-purifier, the combination of a closed outervessel having at one end a central neck and at the opposite end acorresponding depression, a laterally-perforated inner vessel mounted torotate in the outer vessel and adapted to receive liquid from said neckand discharge it into said depression, means for introducing liquidtangentially into said neck, and means for discharging a small portionof the entering Water from the peripheral portion of the outer vessel.

9. In a centrifugal liquid-purifier, the combination of a closed outervessel, a laterallyperforated inner vessel mounted to rotate in theouter vessel and divided into compartments by radial partitions, meansfor introducing Water into one end of the inner vessel and fordischarging Water from the opposite end, and means for discharging asmall part of the entering Water from the peripheral portion of theouter vessel.

10. In a centrifugal liquidpurifier,the combination of a conical vesseladapted to contain a rapidly-rotating body of liquid, alaterallyperforated inner vessel mounted to rotate Within the outervessel, means for introducing liquid into the smaller end of the innervessel, means for discharging liquid from its opposite end, and meansfor discharging liquid from the peripheral portion of the outer vessel,

11. In a centrifugal liquicl-purifier,the combination of a closed outervessel for receiving separated impurities, a conical inner vesselmounted to rotate Within the outer vessel and provided With peripheraldischarge-openings for permitting impurities to pass into the outervessel, means for introducing liquid to be purified into one end of theinner vessel, means for discharging purified liquid from its oppositeend, and means for discharging a small portion of the entering liquid,With its impurities, from the peripheral portion of the outer vessel.

. 12. In a centrifugal liquid-purifier,the combination With a closedconical outer vessel, of a conical, laterally-perforated inner vesselmounted to rotate in the outer vessel, means for introducing liquid intothe smaller end of the inner vessel and for discharging liquid. from itsopposite end, and a conduit for discharging liquid from the peripheralportion of the outer vessel.

13. In a centrifugal liquid-purifier,the combination of a closed outervessel for receiving separated impurities, a laterally-perforatedconical inner vessel mounted to rotate in the outer vessel, means forintroducing liquid tangentially in the smaller end of the inner vessel,means for discharging liquid from its opposite end, and means fordischarging a relatively small portion of the entering Water from theperipheral portion of the outer vessel.

M. In a centrifugal Water-purifier,the combination of a closed conicalouter vessel, a similar laterally-perforated inner vessel mounted torotate in the outer vessel, means for introducing tangentially at thesmall end of the inner vessel liquid to he purified, and conduits at theopposite end of the apparatus leading tangentially from the inner andouter vessels, respectively.

15. In a centrifugal liquid-pu rifier, the comloination of a closedouter vessel, a laterallyperforated conical inner vessel mounted torotate in the outer vessel and divided into compartments by radialpartitions, means for introducing liquid into the smaller end of theinner vessel and for discharging liquid from the opposite end, and meansfor discharging liquid from the peripheral portion of the outer vessel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM G. HOWELL.

